


Out into the open

by plikki



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Lovesick Dorks, Secret Relationship, Suspicious classmates, post-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26891170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: Adrien and Marinette struggle with keeping their relationship secret and their friends are not a big help.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 18
Kudos: 238





	Out into the open

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiaBrown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiaBrown/gifts).



> Congratulations on being one of the bingo winners on the Miraculous Fanworks Discord Server, Mia! You asked for these two dorks trying and failing to keep their relationship secret. I hope you like what I came up with!
> 
> Thanks to my wonderful beta Lou! 😘

A secret relationship should be easy. As easy as keeping secret identities. Well, she’d had a few close calls with that, but it all worked out in the end. But somehow trying to stay away from Adrien, her Adrien, proved to be so much more difficult for Marinette when he was so close to her. 

Casual touches and secret smiles worked to an extent. And it was hard to hide those too. Marinette was jittery all the time, waiting to be called out. Although it was easier for her. Everyone knew about her crush on Adrien so she was allowed to stare lovingly at his back and drown in lovesick sighs. But he wasn’t

“Adrien, you’ll find that the whiteboard is this way,” Miss Bustier said when she caught him trying to surreptitiously look at Marinette over his shoulder. He turned beet-red and spluttered an “I’m sorry,” that got the whole class laughing. 

Marinette tried not to laugh because she felt bad for him, but a treacherous giggle escaped from her mouth. She regretted it instantly, not only because it wasn’t fair to Adrien, but also because it drew Alya’s curious gaze to her. She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. 

*

“Lunch?” Alya asked when Marinette was preparing to leave. She caught Adrien’s eye as he was getting out of his seat too. 

“Um, I have something I need to get done at home,” she said, trying not to sound nervous and make her lie obvious. When her eyes turned towards Alya, she found her looking at her with a curious expression. 

“Ok. You too, Adrien?” She asked. 

“Yes, as usual,” he said, but if this was what she looked like while trying to lie, they were in trouble. Thankfully, their friends just shrugged and left.

*

“I think we’re not doing very well,” she said a little later when he arrived on her balcony as Chat and kissed her. 

“Ugh, I didn’t expect it would be so hard,” Adrien said, sighing. 

“I thought lying was like second nature to me by now, but for some reason it’s harder to lie when it comes to you,” she said, between bites. She’d had to sneak in some lunch for him as well. If they wanted some alone time, their lunch break was the best choice. But this meant hiding from her parents and him thinking up an excuse not to be home and apparently lying to their friends.

“Maybe we can keep this to patrols, how about that?” he asked. It was a reasonable suggestion. It shouldn’t make her sad to think that she’d get to be with him only for an hour every other day. After all they spent all day together, even if they had to pretend they were just friends.

“ Having in mind what we’ve been through, we should have found this easier,” she said. It was true. They’d been pining after each other for so long and yet they’d managed somehow. Now that they knew they loved each other, it wasn’t easier, but harder in so many ways. But they didn’t want it to be any other way.

“We’ll make it work, don’t worry, m’lady,” Adrien said, his hand finding hers and squeezing lightly. 

*

They tried to do better. They barely talked to each other, they kept to themselves, tried to hide their lovesick glances at each other. But obviously this wasn’t enough. One time they ended up talking about the homework they’d been given and were surprised to find the whole class hushed and looking at them with wide eyes. They didn’t even know what they’d done wrong. 

First it was Rose who asked Marinette if something had happened. She denied. Then it was Alix, who looked suspicious even after Marinette said that she was trying to be a good friend and get over her crush. Thankfully, the boys were slower on the uptake and hadn’t started making jokes about this yet. But if some of the girls shared their suspicions, it would be game on.

Marinette didn’t know what to do. It would look strange if she suddenly started acting cold and hostile with Adrien too, right? There was no safe path it seemed. 

*

They were trying, but sometimes it didn’t work, Marinette thought, because there wasn’t a force strong enough to keep her away from Adrien at this moment. They’d already been in the janitor’s closet to transform after the latest attack, a minute or two more wouldn’t matter, right? She needed that kiss. The rejuvenating effect of his lips against hers, the way he pressed her against the door and _oh_ she’d keep that thought for later, because they really needed to get to class, but she couldn’t bring herself to separate from him just yet. 

Until the door opened and all of a sudden they were falling. Only their practice with tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs helped them to prevent a serious injury. But the humiliation when they looked into the shocked faces of Alya and Nino was still too real.

“Um, this isn’t what it looks like?” Marinette said in a weak attempt to salvage the situation. But Adrien’s ruffled hair and both of them being out of breath were self-explanatory. 

“I knew it! I told you I heard someone in here, Nino!" Alya exclaimed. Turning to them, she added. "You always sneak out during akuma attacks! I'm surprised and not surprised at all. I just don’t get why you hid it from us,” she added, her arms crossed and a sulky look on her face. She didn’t like not being in on the secret. 

“Were we that obvious?” Adrien asked as he helped Marinette get up and dust herself off. 

“Have you two seen yourselves? You’re all blushy looks and adoring smiles. I see you’re trying. But it’s not working. Adrien, Juleka saw you sneak a rose in Marinette’s locker a few days ago.” They both blushed at that. It had been a risk that hadn’t paid off. “And Marinette no longer being the stuttery mess she usually is around you? That was a big giveaway. You look both so in love and more normal than before, if you understand what I mean. You’re no longer nervous around each other.”

“There is no point in denying?” Adrien asked sheepishly, after he shot her a look and she nodded.

“I’m offended by your lack of trust. Why not tell us?” Alya said with a huff.

“Lila,” they said together. It was one of the reasons anyway.

“Um. Ok, I get that. But maybe we can talk to the rest of the class and work out how to keep it a secret from her. You have a better chance if all of us back you instead of you trying on your own.”

“You’d do that?” Marinette asked, touched by their support.

“Yes. We want you to be happy. Of course we demand all the juicy details too, but we just want you to stop hiding from us.” They laughed. “Do you want to hear something funnier though? I just caught Ladybug and Chat Noir kissing. Isn’t it fun that you got together at the same time?” 

Marinette could see that Adrien was trying as hard as her to keep a straight face. This was.. Not ok. 

“When did this happen?” she asked casually.

“Oh, a day or two ago. They didn’t notice me and I didn’t manage to take a picture. This time. But they’re probably keeping it secret anyway. It makes more sense for them at least.”

Marinette felt weak with relief. They’d been lucky. This time. But they really needed to be more careful. And hope that Alya didn’t put two and two together eventually.

“Imagine going on double dates with LadyNoir,” Alya sighed, with a dreamy expression on her face. This time it was really hard not to laugh out loud.

“You’ll have to settle for us,” Adrien said with a grin. 

Crisis averted. For now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Do you want to win a one-shot? Do you want to have one of our amazing writers fulfil your prompt for the server anniversary? Join the [ Miraculous Fanworks Discord](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)!


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